Shoe-lace fastener.



No. 886,792' PATBNTED MAY 5, 1908.

R. GAYTON.

V SHOE LACE PASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 25. 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSELL GAYTON, OF DENVER, INDIANA.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RosELL GAYroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Miami and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe string fasteners of that type arranged to be clamped over the bow on the shoe lacing or string so as to prevent the same from untying.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, readily applied to lace shoes of any style and convenient to manipulate.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shoe lace fastener in the form of a clamp which is adapted to be applied to the upper end of a tongue of a shoe in such position that one jaw can be engaged .over the outside of the shoe to the bow of the lacing.

With these objects and others in View, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention:Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shoe, showing the lace fastener applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front view of the shoe lacing applied to the tongue of the shoe. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is a rear view. Fig. 5 is a similar view with portions broken away. Fig. 6 is a front view of the wire structure or frame of the device. F ig. 7 is a side view thereof.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a shoe, and 2, the lacing therefor having its ends tied into a bow 3 which bow is clamped by the fastening device designated generally by 4 so that the shoe lacing is prevented from untying. The fastening device comprises preferably a single length of wire bent into substantially U-shaped jaws 5 that. are

Patented May 5, 1908.

1907. Serial No. 380,770.

I connected together by a helical portion 6 that forms a torsional spring tending to keep the jaws closed. The ends of thewire are formed into eyes 7 that are linked together by a cross bar 8 extending through the spring 6. In order to improve the appearance of the device, the latter is incased by a covering 9 of leather or other suitable material that has its edges turned under the Wire of the jaws and secured by stitches 10.

, In practice, the fastening device has one of its jaws secured to the tongue 11 of the shoe in any suitable manner, as shown in Figs. 2 to 5. In the present instance, a wire 12 is passed through the tongue and also through the covering of one of the jaws and the ends of the wire looped back, as indicated at 13, Fig. 5. In lacing the shoe, the tongue and fastening device 4 are slipped to one side until the bow 3 is tied, after which. the front jaw can be sprung forwardly and the device and tongue at the same time brought back to normal position, so that upon releasing the front jaw, it will clamp the bow 3. thus be seen that the fastening is permanently attached to the shoe and can be readily adjusted to permit the lacing to=be tied or untied. The device will preferably be put up for the market with coverings of different colors so as to match the shoes with which they are used.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention; .what I claim is A shoe-lace fastener comprising a single piece of wire having its middle portion coiled into a helical torsional spring and its extremities bent into rectangular flat jaws, each jaw consisting of parallel portions disposed at right angles to the coiled portion and extending from the ends thereof, and a It will connecting portion between the parallel portions and disposed parallel with the spring, the extremities of the wire being formed into eyes disposed at opposite ends of the coil; and a straight bar passing through and of greater length than the coil and having its ends formed into eyes engaged in the eyes of the said wire, in combination with a piece of fabric Covering both jaws and spring and se-' cured only to the jaws. 10

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROSELL GAYTON. Witnesses:

CHAS. JEoFFAs, M. L. TREADWAY. 

